April 14, 2017
Japan Airlines Tokyo to Chicago 1110a – 855a Boeing 777-300 First Class

When I stepped out of the elevator and into the lobby this morning, it looked as if I was number 78 in line for a seat on the 7:00am shuttle to the airport. People and their luggage were spread out everywhere, including a couple of Japanese tour groups. Thankfully the hotel operates full size busses to each terminal and even added an extra van to cover the overflow to Terminal 2. Well done, Narita Tobu!

Upon arrival at Narita’s Terminal 2, I easily located JAL’s check-in counters. The First Class security checkpoint didn’t open until 7:30am and so I was directed to take a seat in the premium class waiting area, complete with comfy chairs and copies of JAL’s inflight magazine. Once the checkpoint did open, I was through there with ease and on to immigration where again, no line awaited me. It was downright dreamlike! Even better, as soon as I cleared immigration I was directly across the hallway from the First Class Lounge.



JAL First Class Lounge

I was immediately taken with the subdued lighting contrasting the natural daylight from the large windows along one wall. This is a very tastefully done facility. In addition to the usual lounge amenities like food zone, dining area, a self-service beverage bar and a business center, the lounge was divided into a number of different seating zones. This went a long way towards lending a sense of intimacy to these areas as opposed to the convention hall like atmosphere of a large room filled with chairs and tables as is unfortunately the case in quite a few other lounges.



JAL First Class Lounge Seating Area


JAL First Class Lounge Seating Area


JAL First Class Lounge – Business Center


After settling in at a table in the Business Center, I sauntered over to the food area to have a look at this morning’s selections. Hmm… very nice. There were hot dishes featuring traditional western fare such as really soft scrambled eggs, roasted potatoes, bacon and sausage. There were also a nice variety of finger foods, a salad bar and even a dessert bar. I was suitably impressed.



JAL First Class Lounge Finger Foods


JAL First Class Lounge Salad Bar


JAL First Class Lounge – Sweet Trays


JAL First Class Lounge – The Bar Selections
Hey – that’s me in the reflection!


This ought to tide me over until flight time…


I spent the next couple of hours noshing on finger foods (I must’ve eaten five or six of those delicious salmon and cream cheese hors d’oeuvres!) and working on this trip report. As ever, I had a lot to catch up on. Although I take plenty of notes while in the moment, I spend most of my time enjoying the moment with the result being that I am SO far behind in keeping this report up to date. As I said though, I keep good notes and I have the memory of an elephant on Ginkgo Biloba. As such it’s not at all difficult to come back to my notes up to a month later and pick up writing as if it all happened just yesterday.

Above all else though, my number one goal on these trips is to enjoy myself. Every once in a while – especially in situations like this where I’m spending a couple hours of pre-flight lounging – enjoying myself translates into working on this trip report. I enjoy writing, especially because I feel I can express myself, my impressions and my overall experiences much more effectively with words than I ever could with pictures alone.

There is a lot to read in my reports though, and in an era when many people text or email more than they actually write and where the instant gratification of a photo report with 1000 words is vastly preferred over slogging through a long written report of 10000+ words or more, I can only hope that a significant percentage of you will continue to find my style of trip reporting amenable to your interests and expectations. If you’ve actually read this far, I kid you not when I say you have my sincere gratitude.


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The announcement to board JL 010 to Chicago was made at about 10:40am – a half hour out. Quite a crowd was gathered in the gate area and as I strolled past the long line waiting to board Economy Class, a large blustery American man said “Hey! The line starts back there!”

Maybe it was my daypack. Maybe it was my limp. Maybe it was my rumpled Ivy League professor appearance with my tweed jacket, cap and beard. Then again, maybe the guy just liked to talk first and think later. I turned around, smiled, flashed my First Class boarding pass to him and said “Sorry about that. I’m in… First Class.”

“Oh” he stuttered. “Well, uh… have a good flight.”

“Thank you” I said. “I expect I will” as I continued on to the well signed First Class boarding lane, presented my boarding pass and proceeded regally down the jetway.

A warm greeting awaited me at the door and I was then escorted to my home for the next twelve hours – Suite 2A. We didn’t have far to go as I’d boarded at door 1L and JAL’s 777-300s have only eight First Class suites arranged in two rows of 1-2-1.



[b]Suite 2A aboard JAL’s 777-300/b]


I like large seats. I mean – we’re in First Class here – they ought to be large, right? And spacious. It’s not really important to me to have the complete privacy afforded by an enclosed suite a la Emirates or Etihad. Mainly I want to be comfortable and not feel walled in. JAL’s First Class suite scored well in both of these areas. Compared to the First Class suites aboard fellow OneWorld carrier British Airways’ 747s, this seat was far superior.

All of the usual amenities were waiting on or nearby the seat including a nice large pillow and a set of Bose QuietComfort® 25 headphones. The pillow had some decent density to it, too. Few things are more worthless to me than a soft, airy pillow. I want support and this pillow felt really good. I couldn’t wait to go to bed! Just kidding, of course – I placed the pillow and its accompanying blanket in the storage bin above the seat and then accepted a glass of Champagne graciously delivered by the beautiful and charming Miki – the flight attendant working my side of the cabin.

An amenity kit was next – an interesting presentation in a plastic wrapped hard red case. Still, it’s all about what’s in it and in this regard, this kit was more than amenable. Additionally, we were given a separate box of gender specific products from skin care specialist Shisheido. Combined with the amenity kit, it all comprised what has to be in terms of overall contents the best amenity kit I have ever received.



JAL’s First Class Amenity Kit XXX


JAL’s First Class Amenity Kit contents XXX


Interestingly, when pajamas were offered they were described as “Elastic Wear”. It took a little back and forth before I understood exactly what was being offered. Oh – pajamas! That’s alright – pajamas aren’t all that important to me – even if they’re Japan Air Lines pajamas which I understand are quite nice. Aside from the fact that I’m perfectly comfortable sleeping in just my pants and a t-shirt, I just don’t have room to be hauling anything more around with me. My bag’s already stuffed to the breaking point with amenity kits and a one inch high pile of menus.

On the other hand, I really would have liked one of those “Happi Coats” that JAL used to bestow upon its First Class clientele back in the 1960s. Check out this picture of the Beatles wearing their Happi Coats upon arrival in Japan for their 1966 tour. Word is these coats made a brief comeback with JAL last year but unfortunately it was only for a short lived promotion

As I sat and sipped my tasty Salon Champagne, I took a moment to try out the various seat adjustment functions. Over the years I’ve learned to do this while on the ground during the boarding process. It’s a good habit to get into because if anything is wrong with the seat, the chances of fixing it satisfactorily are markedly better at the gate than they are in the air. After the seat tested out well, I reclined it a bit and took in the view ahead of me. It included a 23” monitor and a large table area that was your dining table. When needed, you just slid it out toward you.



Looking forward from suite 2A


Looking sideways from suite 2A


Before much longer we were buttoned up and ready to go. I love the sound of that tractor revving up beneath us, followed by the first gentle tug as we begin our push back from the gate. I also love the muted hum from the huge GE90-115B turbofan engines as they spool up and then rev up as we begin our taxi way from the gate.

Out my window, four ramp agents lined to give us an enthusiastic wave goodbye.



So long from your friends on the amp in Tokyo


As we made the turn to line up for our take off roll, I viewed an impressive lineup of one ANA 787-9 and two JAL 787-8s behind us. A moment later, I was treated to a nice view of the runway that we’d soon be thundering down.



787s line up for departure


Runway 16R beckons


The Captain turned on to the runway, paused briefly to perhaps appreciate the moment and then pushed his throttles all the way forward. 42 seconds later, we were airborne – climbing steeply away from the green countryside surrounding Narita. For such a large airplane, I thought the 777-300ER had an impressively steep climb out.



Steep climb away from Narita


We were 18 minutes into the flight when the Wine List was presented. I thought it a bit surprising that the Wine List was presented separately from the menu but hey – we’ve got 12 more hours before we’re due to land in Chicago. There’ll be plenty of time to check out the menu. As for the Wine List, let’s see what’s on offer this afternoon:


WINE LIST

Champagne
Champagne Salon 2006
Charles Heidsieck Blanc des Millénaires

White Wine
Château de Meursault 1er Cru Charmes 2011, Bourgogne, France
Yealands Estate Single Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc 2016, Awatere Valley, Marlborough, New Zealand
Durnberg Rabenstein Gruner Veltliner Reserve 2015, Austria
Coco Farm & Winery Kaze no Etude, Japan

Red Wine
Château d’Armailhac Pauillac 2012, Bordeaux, France
Albert Bichot Gevrey Chambertin Les Evocelles 2013, Bourgogne, France
Ch.Igai Takaha “SONO” Pinot Noir 2014, California, USA
KUSUDA Martinborough Syrah 2014, New Zealand

Premium Japanese Sake
Hakurakusei
Isojiman

Premium Japanese Shochu
Mori Izo
Kanehachi

Port Wine
Graham’s Tawny Port 30 Years


BEVERAGES

Aperitif – Cocktail
Tio Pepe Dry Sherry
Martini Extra Dry Vermouth
Campari
Lejay Crème de Cassis
Plum Wine
Martini
Kir Royale
Kir
Bloody Mary

Whisky
Chivas Regal Royal Salute 21 Years
Suntory Hibiki 17 Years Old
L&G Woodford Reserve

Spirits
Bombay Sapphire Gin
Absolut Vodka

Brandy-Liqueur
Rémy Martin V.S.O.P.
Cointreau
Bailey’s Irish Cream




Miki returned five minutes later, whereupon I ordered a glass of 21 Year Old Royal Salute - on the rocks, please. It was tempting to order a glass of the Woodford’s, but I can have that any old time at home. As for the highly regarded 2006 Champagne Salon, I’m just not enough of a Champagne drinker to go wild on it like some others here have famously shared. A welcome aboard glass at boarding was enough for me, thanks.

A few minutes later my drink was delivered with a nicely plated collection of canapés. Three minutes later Miko returned with a basket bearing dried seafood, fruit and nuts and something I couldn’t figure out what it was. Dried seafood and whiskey? (Shiver!) No thank you. I accepted some of the mixed fruit and nuts and passed on the rest.



Cocktails and Canapés over the Pacific


Whisky and tidbits


Reclining my seat a bit more, I reminisced a bit on this wonderful trip I’d taken so far. Thirty-eight thousand five hundred miles traveled aboard eighteen airlines, most of that in premium classes with twelve flights having been aboard airlines never before flown by me. Add to that a fantastic week long journey across Siberia in the comfort of the very best accommodations available plus short stays in Bangkok and Bali and a week relaxing under the palms in Fiji and you’ve got one of the best around the world expeditions I’ve ever made.

Out my window puffy white clouds floated amidst azure blue over the deep indigo blue of the North Pacific. The flight map indicated that our route of flight would take us on a northerly route up over Alaska, much like you’d see on a westbound flight. It was unusual inasmuch as the primary reason for that northerly tack is to avoid headwinds across the Pacific. Flying eastbound, those same headwinds would be tailwinds.



Initial route of flight ~ NRT-ORD


Well, avoidance of tailwinds is just fine by me – especially when I’m ensconced in the lap of luxury while being wined and about to be dined like royalty. I sat back and took another sip from my drink. Is this the life, or what?! God, I love flying International First Class…

We were 37 minutes into the flight when the main menu was delivered. It was presented in a 6” X 14” grey folder embossed with the letters BEDD, which I’m told is an acronym for Bed, Dining, Delicious and Dream. Okay… Although it appeared that everyone else in the cabin was preparing to eat right away, I asked if I might hold off on the luncheon service until about 1:00pm. Miki didn’t speak English all that well, but she spoke it well enough to convey all aspects of the service to me as well as understand my questions and meal requests. In between, we worked it all out - Luncheon at 1:00pm and a refill on my drink, please.


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Do you remember back when you were only 6 or 7 years old and how excited you used to get in the days leading up to Christmas? Did you ever go over to the tree and just pick up and shake a couple of the more attractively wrapped or shaped presents while trying to get a sense of what might be inside? It was so fun to just sit there and imagine the potentially amazing gifts inside. Well as an adult, the sense of gleeful anticipation is no less fervent for me when it comes to the days and hours leading up to a flight in International First Class – especially when flying my first time in First Class aboard an old and well regarded airline like JAL.

As you might imagine then, prior to this flight I did quite a bit of anticipatory research on JAL’s First Class meal service. There are a number of trip reports and basic reviews available for viewing online, all of them generally quite favorable towards JAL’s inflight premium class product. An initial perusal of the menu appeared to validate those assessments. So then, what to order…

To be honest, I’ve never been a big eater of either fish or seafood. That’s not to say that there aren’t fish and seafood dishes that I’ve very much enjoyed over the years. Inflight, the most memorable of those was a delectable Baked Barramundi in a sublime coconut curry sauce produced by the talented chefs at Singapore Changi’s flight kitchen and served with flair one evening aboard a British Airways 747-400 bound for Melbourne, Australia. The year was 2002, but so delicious was that meal that even now – fifteen years later – the flavor still titillates my memory.

In any event, Japanese food is strongly influenced by delicacies from the deep and, with my tastes leaning more towards continental fare, I turned my attention to the Western Menu.


LUNCHEON
Tokyo to Chicago

JAPANESE MENU

Seasonal Five Colorful Delicacies

Simmered common Orient clam with Japanese Butterbur Miso
Egg Cake
Tender simmered octopus
Simmered conger eel “sushi” wrapped with Sakura leaf
Boiled firefly squid

Owan
Japanese clear soup with Sakura petals
Bamboo shoots fish mousse & simmered abalone

Seafood
Prawn & pen shell “Sashimi” style with bamboo shoots & “Wakeme” seaweed
Cold steamed egg custard with sea urchin with layer of smoked potato potage accompanied by caviar

Dainomono
Braised beef cheek & potatoes

Hanmono
Steamed rice with Japanese pepper flavored young sardines

Tomewan
Miso soup with tofu & perilla
Japanese pickles

Kanmi
Condensed milk sherbet with lychee yogurt sauce & strawberry
Ryugin’s Speciality ~ Japanese style baked pistachio cake
Roppongi Pudding



WESTERN MENU

Amuse Bouche
Scottish smoked salmon gravlax

Hors d’oeuvre
Caviar with egg yolk cream and crispy rice wafers
French Veal “Vitello Tonnato”
Warm salad of spring vegetables & Iberico Chorizo


MAIN DISH

Beef Fillet with Green Asparagus
Accompanied by egg yolk sauce

“Hinai-Jidori”
Chicken Pot-au-feu in “Kiritanpo” style

Blue Lobster
With turnip and celeriac sauce Américaine


Assortment of Artisanal Breads
Pain de Campagne
Natural yeast butter roll
Soy milk bread
Sunflower seed bread

Dessert
“Kotoka” Strawberry & Rhubarb in springlike Vacherin style

Upon Request
“Dainagon” Adzuki Bean Financier “S”





Oh yeah! I think I should be able to come up with a pretty tasty meal from the impressive collection of foods available here. While Miko stood patiently by with pen and notepad in hand, I delivered my choices one by one.

Let’s start with the amuse bouche followed by the caviar, the French veal and the warm salad. Miko raised her eyebrows slightly at my choice of all three hors d’oeuvres but dutifully recorded my selections and awaited my main course selection with a shy smile. What a gal! Uh, okay then – although the beef fillet and the lobster were sorely tempting, I felt it was the least I could do to at least sample one Japanese item on the menu. So for the main course then, let’s go with… the “Hinai-Jidori” chicken dish. As for dessert, let’s wait until after the meal to see how I feel. I may have it later in the flight.

So – with my 1:00pm luncheon date an hour or so away, it was time to turn my attention to the 23” monitor in front of me. I had only one thing in mind. That’s right – a replay of the Denver Bronco’s glorious 2015 season capped off by their dominant victory over the gallant but overmatched Carolina Panthers. Speaking only as a Broncos fan, I felt that the NFL Films production of “America’s Game – Super Bowl 50” was so good that once my luncheon service began in earnest, it was worth watching yet again. And so it was that as Miko laid my table settings and delivered my amuse bouche, I settled in for my third viewing of the Bronco’s wonderful 2015 season. Go Broncos!



Amuse Bouche with John Elway, Gary Kubiak and Joe Ellis in the background


You know, I’d always understood that by definition, an amuse bouche was supposed to be a small bite sized morsel of food which is designed to stimulate the appetite before a meal. What I was presented was more along the lines of a proper appetizer and did not look like I expected something titled “Scottish Smoked Salmon Gravlax” to look. That’s not to say that I was complaining, mind you! It was a delicate and delicious start to the meal.

Throughout this trip I’d had such good experiences with New Zealand wines that I decided to stick with them via a glass of the Yealands Estate Single Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc. This was an excellent accompaniment to each and every dish so I stayed with it throughout the meal.

Moving right along, my table was cleared and I was next presented with a plate of caviar. That would be Malossol Caviar for anyone who may care. Truth be known, I recently learned that the term “Malossol” doesn’t carry the same cachet that it used to. Once upon a time “Malossol” was used to distinguish high grade caviar from ordinary caviar. When caviar was being produced many centuries ago, no viable preservatives existed to properly conserve and extend its shelf-life. The only known solution was to add salt in order to preserve the caviar. However, adding too much salt would overwhelm the taste and quality of the caviar, compromising the cell-walls of the roe and causing the caviar to lose its characteristic "pop". Thus, the term "Malossol" was born to inform both purveyors and consumers alike that this specific type of caviar had not been overly salted and was of the highest quality and taste.

Traditionally, only the highest grade of roe such as Beluga or Imperial Ossetra Caviar was used for the “Malossol” process. Today however, “Malossol” is no longer indicative of caviar's grade, quality or origin because most all types are treated with salt in order to properly preserve the caviar and to add to its taste. As a result, almost all caviar is considered "Malossol" by definition.



Malossol Caviar served aboard Japan Airlines


Malossol Caviar presentation aboard Japan Airlines


From where I sit however, “Malossol” sounded just fine and it tasted even better. I particularly enjoyed JAL’s presentation, which was different from any other airline’s that I’d experienced. Most airlines serve their caviar in the traditional manner with blinis or Melba toast accompanied by chopped onions, egg whites, egg yolks and sour cream. JAL’s presentation was highlighted by a tasty egg yolk cream and crispy rice wafers which were conveniently shaped like small bowls. After spreading generous portions of egg yolk cream upon the wafers, I spooned on equally generous amounts of caviar. The result was delicious – every bit as good as the traditional style.

Next up was the French Veal “Vitello Tonnato”. At first I thought that they’d forgotten the veal what with the two big leaves of Romaine lettuce garnishing the plate but no – underneath the flavorful light colored sauce were three scrumptious morsels of tender and delicious veal. Appetizers don’t get much better than this!



French Veal “Vitello Tonnato”


Alright, let’s see what this warm salad is all about. I generally like my salads on the cold and crisp side but the salad I was served on this afternoon while cruising high above the Pacific was memorably delicious.



Warm Salad of Spring Vegetables & Iberico Chorizo


The flavor of the warm and mildly spicy sausage in combination with the assorted vegetables and light vinaigrette was simply exquisite. I’m not going to say it was the best salad I’ve ever had on an airplane because Lord knows I’ve had quite a few good ones in my days but it was immediately distinctive and memorably flavorful. I may have to try some warm Spanish or Italian sausage in one of my salads I make at home someday.

So then, it was time for the main course. If you’ll recall, the name of the dish I requested is “Hinai-Jidori”, described as Chicken Pot-au-feu in “Kiritanpo” style. Truth be known, I ordered this dish more out of a sense of adventure than from any familiarity with the meal. Thus, without any background in the Japanese culinary arts I really had no idea what to expect.



“Hinai-Jidori”
Chicken Pot-au-feu in “Kiritanpo” style


When Miko presented my plate, I must admit to having been just a wee bit underwhelmed. There wasn’t very much chicken and I couldn’t really identify what the stuff was that accompanied it. I tentatively applied knife and fork and took the first cautious bite.

Any sense of discontent quickly dissolved with the first forkful of chicken. It was succulent and tender, nicely flavored with a deceptively rich broth and deliciously accompanied by the “Kiritanpo” style rice dumplings. As I licked off the last morsel from my fork a few minutes later, my only complaint was that there wasn’t a bit more of everything.

On the other hand, because I wasn’t overwhelmingly full I had enough room to try out a serving of dessert – something called “Kotoka” Strawberry & Rhubarb in spring like Vacherin style. Hmm… well, I’d had pretty good luck with the last mysterious bit of Japanese cuisine I’d tried, so I decided to roll the proverbial dice and go for the dessert. Here’s what I was served:



“Kotoka” Strawberry & Rhubarb in spring like Vacherin style


I know, I know – it looks like a poached egg doused in Hollandaise Sauce with diced tomatoes on one side and raspberry sauce on the other, all of it topped by a piece of colorful construction paper with a spot of French’s mustard and a couple of purple flower petals. It tasted much better than that though – although I still can’t tell you exactly what it was. It was sweet, it was delicate and it was a nice ending to an excellent First Class meal.



After dinner chocolate


A check of the SkyMap indicated that our route of flight was proceeding along a more traditional eastbound trans-Pacific routing than the initial flight plan which showed a much more northerly route up over southern Alaska. Had we stuck to that original routing – who knows? – maybe I would have stayed awake to enjoy the view of my homeland from on high. There were almost eight and a half more hours left in the flight and, given the more direct southerly routing - what the heck, I might as well take a little nap. If all goes well, I’ll wake up with three or four more hours left to enjoy the remainder of the flight.

Of course I can never sleep right after eating, so I took brief advantage of the free Wi-Fi available to First Class passengers, got my flight log up to date with all the relevant information from my two latest flights and then called on Miko to convert my seat into bed mode. While she attended to that, I took a stroll back to the nether regions of the aircraft.

JAL’s new Sky Suite configured 777s get generally positive reviews from all of the usual sources. I’m certainly impressed and pleased with JAL’s First Class product. On the other hand, I couldn’t help but cringe inwardly as I made my way back through the Business and Premium Economy cabins. Perhaps it is a measure of how sybaritic I’ve become with regard to long distance travel but compared to my spacious digs in the front of the airplane, I thought the Business Class suites looked a tad too snug. The seats certainly looked comfortable enough but the passengers were walled into little rectangular cubicles with the walls right up on you on both sides.

Perhaps it’s because I grew up in an era when First Class was highlighted by large spacious seats with lots of room around them. I’m talking domestic First Class here in the U.S. back in the 1970s when seat pitch was always a minimum of about 45”. All seats were in pairs. I was always more appreciative of the ambiance created by the extra space than I was ever bothered by the lack of privacy from my neighbor. Sometimes that proximity was actually a positive as it resulted in meeting a new and interesting person. These days, even if you are sat side by side, so many people immediately slip on their Bose 35s and wire into their laptops, mp3s or the IFE system that you can still enjoy a measure of privacy.

I also can’t help but consider my perspective relative to that of other flyers - most of whom would be thrilled to have a seat in those little Business Class cubicles. I know of a couple from Northern Ireland who once flew over to the U.S. aboard Virgin Atlantic’s Premium Economy. They could not have been happier with the extra space and the slightly enhanced services compared to what they usually experienced back in trans-Atlantic economy class. So - should I feel just a wee bit guilty to have it so good?

No.

I’ve worked hard to earn the award miles that got me my suite up in First Class. And – I’ve been smart enough to have figured out how to earn those miles without having paid a fortune equivalent to what a First Class ticket would’ve cost me had I bought it straight up.

That said, the miles don’t just flow into my account via credit card churning or business related charges I earn my miles the old fashioned way – by scouring the internet for low priced tickets, purchasing them and actually flying the flights. Though I usually only purchase 4 to five tickets at a time, occasionally I’ll do a mega-mileage run. Some of you might remember these epic mileage runs from years past:


Not For The Faint Hearted ~ 82 Flights and 87830 Miles of Mileage Running

Dear Diary – Three Weeks of Flying Around America

ON THE ROAD AGAIN: In Search of Bonus Miles


When Alaska Airlines inaugurated their San Diego to Boston nonstop service with an $84.00 one way fare and a double mileage promotion (which meant triple mileage to a 75K like me), I immediately purchased 15 round trips and flew them all four months later. As any of you know who’ve flown two trans-con flights in one day – regardless of whether you are seated in First Class – ten hours of sitting is not as easy as it sounds. Add to that the fact that I’m not a rich guy so I’m sleeping on the floor of the airport most nights and you get a sense of the price I pay to earn the miles requisite to an International First Class award ticket.

Returning to the First Class cabin, I found my seat remade into a wide and comfortable bed complete with large sturdy pillow and a warm wool blanket. I would have gladly graced this trip report with a picture of the bed and bedding but my camera was in my daypack which was now positioned well underneath the bed. However, if you click on THIS LINK, you’ll be delivered to JAL’s website which provides numerous views of the First Class Sky Suite in its many configurations.

I always read before going to bed. Today was no different. Along with reading a few pages from my latest book, I also took a moment to check out the menu and see what I’d be missing on the mid-flight menu had I chosen to stay awake throughout the flight.


A LA CARTE

“Otoriyose” In The Sky
Friendship rice bowl of tomato and basil

SNACK

Sea-bream Carpaccio

Assorted Japanese Brochettes
Beef sirloin on skewer with wasabi flavored soy sauce powder
Pork belly roll & vegetables on skewer
Seafood on skewer


When I awoke we were cruising high over Baker, Oregon. I’d managed about a four and a half hour nap. Back in Japan it was approaching 9:00pm. Up ahead of us in Chicago it was approaching 6:00am. Down below us in Baker it was 4:00am and all was dark. The first faint streaks of dawn were just beginning to color the distant horizon ahead of us.



Good Morning, America!


Our actual route of flight – unfortunately way south of Alaska


I remember back when I would’ve thought the three hour flight from Boise, Idaho to Chicago was a long flight. Now, like sand through the hourglass, my First Class experience on Japan Airlines was slowly dwindling away and the three hours remaining in this flight seemed all too short. It was a good time for a cup of coffee and perhaps a bit more before our arrival in Chicago. Walking back to the lav, I stopped by the galley to convey my wishes. Miki was on rest break but another flight attendant quickly attended to converting my bed back to its daytime configuration. When I returned, a fresh chocolate awaited me and – shortly thereafter – a hot towel.

Alright then – where did I put that menu? Ah – there it is on the table under the TV. Let’s have a look, shall we?


LIGHT MEAL

Snack
Quinoa & Grilled Vegetable Salad with creamy French dressing
White asparagus soup
Grilled chicken sandwich “Yuzu” chili flavor
“Sangenton” Pork cutlet sandwich
JAL Original Beef Curry

Noodles
“Ramen” noodles in soy sauce flavored soup
Japanese hot “Udon” noodles with edible wild plants

Cheese Selection
Assorted cheeses with traditional accompaniments

Refreshment
Assorted seasonal fresh fruit
Petit Dessert Tray – Tarteb au citron, Gâteau au Fromage, Pudding with adzuki bean cream, Fruits and syrup
Chocolate – Jean Paul Hevin “Fleure”


I asked my new flight attendant if I might order another portion of caviar but she indicated that only items from the Light Meal portion of the menu could be ordered now. How about the Assorted Japanese Brochettes from the Snack menu? At first she seemed a bit hesitant but then agreed that these would be allowed. I thought this all seemed a bit rigid by proper international First Class standards, but as a first time passenger on JAL’s First Class, I had no way of knowing if this was the actual policy or she just wasn’t sure. Arguing the point did not seem like a good idea but if this indeed is JAL’s policy for First Class dining, I would advise them to loosen up.

In any event, we settled on a plate of the brochettes to start followed by a bowl of asparagus soup and then a serving of JAL’s Original Beef Curry. Oh – and my I also have a cup of coffee with that please?

The second meal got off to a good start with Miki’s return and an enticing presentation of the assorted brochettes along with a beautiful coffee presentation complete with a silver French press coffee pot accompanied by an hourglass to alert me when the coffee was ready to press. The steak in particular was spectacular! I should’ve pressed my luck and seen if I could’ve talked that other flight attendant out of a double order of the brochettes. Very nice, indeed!



Assorted Japanese Brochettes
Beef sirloin on skewer with wasabi flavored soy sauce powder
Pork belly roll & vegetables on skewer
Seafood on skewer


Next up was the soup. I didn’t think the presentation was all that impressive given the size of the bowl relative to the size of the portion, but the flavor was good even if the soup didn’t have a single piece of asparagus in it.



White asparagus soup


I’m a big fan of curries – the hotter and more flavorful the better. That said, I’m sorry to report that – per my tastes, at least – JAL’s Original Beef Curry was probably the blandest and least enjoyable curry I have ever eaten – on the ground or in the air. I understand that given the wide spectrum of passengers and their individual tastes, airline food can’t afford to be overly spiced but even the addition of JAL’s supposedly hot condiments did little to improve on this curry. Again though, these are my tastes. For some of you perhaps, the curry may have been just right.



JAL’s Original Beef Curry


Ever since British Airways introduced me to the wonderful taste sensations of a quality port wine via the delicious Warre’s 1986 Reserve Tawny Port it was proffering to its First Class clientele some fifteen years ago, the cheese course has become my favorite way to end an airline meal. I specifically mention airline meal because I rarely ever close out a meal on the ground – either at home or in a restaurant – with cheese and port. I don’t always request cheese in the air either because after four or five courses worth of food I’m often too full. On this flight however, there was no way I was going to end the meal portion of it without checking out a glass of that Graham’s 30 Year Old Tawny Port. I’ve had both the 10 and 20 year old ports that Graham produces and found them both quite acceptable, especially the 20 year old. How would the 30 Year Old compare?



Cheese Plate with 30 Year Old Port


It compared very nicely indeed. The first sip epitomized port perfection per my tastes – velvety rich and slightly nutty but not too sweet – just the way I like it. The aftertaste was surprisingly long and lingering and I’ve already placed an order for a bottle with our local wine specialty store. A couple hours of overtime work should cover the cost but then, with some of the other wines and bourbons I also ordered it looks as if I’ll be scheduling a couple of days of OT.

So am I the only person on this plane who’s disappointed that we’ve less than an hour left in the flight?

Some of you may recall that I recently spent six straight days and nights on a train and lived to write about it. Clearly I’m not on the same page as the rest of humanity when it comes to long distance travel endurance so in this era of ultra-long distance flights I could easily see myself enjoying 20-30 hours of nonstop flight aboard an airplane – provided I was ensconced in a proper First Class suite.

As it is however, my grand adventure is hardly over. Tomorrow afternoon I’ll be stepping aboard Amtrak’s California Zephyr where a private roomette awaits me for the 2,440 mile 52 hour train ride across the Midwest plains, the Rocky Mountains and the American West to San Francisco.

I’ve got plenty to look forward to. Even so, I wouldn’t mind putting that train trip off for a day in exchange for another 10-20 hours aloft while enjoying the wonderful First Class food, wine and comfort aboard Japan Airlines’ 777-300ER Sky Suite. Knowing what I know now, next time I would replace the soup and curry in lieu of the Quinoa & Grilled Vegetable Salad and the “Sangenton” Pork Cutlet Sandwich.

I watched intently as we descended into Chicago’s O’Hare International. It was a bright sunny day and as we descended ever lower I was pleased to see that spring had indeed sprung a little bit here and there with a few green lawns and patches of trees adding life to the otherwise drab Chicago suburbs.

Touchdown in Chicago was a few minutes early. From my vantage point up in the front of the 242 foot long (74 meters) 777-300, we kissed the concrete with a landing that was barely discernible other than a very soft bump. The smoothest landing I ever recall was back in 1976 aboard a Continental DC-10 arriving in Honolulu after a flight from Seattle. I was up in First Class and never even felt the rear wheels touch down. Forgive me a moment while I wipe away a tear in memory of those wonderful Continental DC-10s as configured in the mid-seventies. The First Class California Room, the Polynesian Pub, the bright décor of the Coach Class Micronesia Room – what a marvelous airplane to fly upon!

Miki and her crew bid us a cheerful farewell at the door. I thanked her for a great flight and promised to come back and visit again real soon. With First Class award travel going for just 75000 miles each way between the U.S. and Asia, I can definitely see another First Class flight aboard JAL in my future.

Well done, Japan Airlines! ^^


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Thanks to my status as a card carrying member of the U.S. government’s Global Entry program, I was processed and through immigration and customs in less than five minutes. For anyone who flies internationally more than once or twice a year, I can’t imagine a better $100.00 investment than a membership in Global Entry. Unless you actually enjoy standing in lines, that is. Your Global Entry ID number even doubles as your Known Traveler number, thus granting you admittance to TSA Pre✓over the duration of your membership.